It’s a great pleasure to be in Dublin today, at the Financial System Conference, and at the Aviva Stadium – though the old-time rugby fan in me has to be reminded not to say Lansdowne Road. I am going to use my time today to talk about openness and the risk of fragmentation, both in the world economy and the financial system. Ireland is one of the most open economies in the world, and the UK is also an open economy. I will say at the outset, to avoid any doubt, that I am a strong advocate of free trade and open economies. It can sometimes be challenging when the economy is exposed to big external shocks – and we have ... (full story)